Happy July 4th to those celebrating the American Independence day. It was on this day in 1776 that the United States of America declared its independence from the British.

A couple of years ago, we drove up to Calfiornia’s Gold country to witness a traditional July 4th parade. We drove from the San Francisco bay area to Columbia State Park and arrived just in time to find a parking spot. It was a bright, hot summer day and we followed the crowd and made a beeline to Fallon Ice Cream parlor for a much-need respite from the heat. This old-fashioned  ice-cream shop, which seemed to the place to cool down. And who do we clap our eyes upon entering the shop? We came  face-to face with Mark Twain himself.  You see during the gold rush period in California a young Mark Twain spent his time in this part of the world and wrote his first essay “The Jumping Frogs of Calaveras”  in 1865.

Here is a short video from that July 4th celebration. I wish we had stayed back for the dance competition, which looked like a lot of fun. We had come ill-prepared to battle the hot sun and the rising temperature. We beat a hasty retreat to a nearby place to partake in a glass of tall lemonade and salad.

If you plan to attend this traditional parade do check the temperatures, wear sunscreen and the right clothes to enjoy the parade.